Improvement in burial-cases



UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE,

E. H. BORTON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND E. A. SKEELE, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BU RIAL-CASES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,857, dated June 9, 1863.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, E. H. BORTON, of the city and county of St. Louis, and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Burial Cases; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and clear description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon and made to form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to render the interior surfaces of burial-cases impervious to air and water, and also to the gases and fluids th at mayarise from the decomposition of bodies within said cases, and thereby prevent the escape of said gases and fluids therefrom, so that burial-cases may, if desired, be allowed to remain in ordintry apartments for such length of time as may be wished without being the cause of any offensive smell or in any manner vitiating the air within said apartment, and the nature of my invention relates to a peculiar mode of lining and preparing the interior surface of burial-cases, by means of which the object sought may be accomplished, as hereinafter set forth and represented.

I am well aware that various inventions, with objects similar to that of my improvement, have been essayed, but have alike failed for several reasons to accomplish the desired result, or to be adopted into general use.

Experiments have proved that compositions of matter which have been employed to cover the interior surfaces of wooden burial-cases fail to fill the pores of the wood sufficient] y to prevent entirely the escape of the contained gases and fluids. This diflicultymay be overcome in the most complete and perfect manner by means of my invention.

In reference to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view representing an ordinary wooden burial-case the interior,

surface of which is lined and prepared in accordance with my invention.

A burial-case being constructed of wood in the ordinary manner, I proceed to line or cover its interior surface with paper, (wall-paper being preferred,) as shown at B upon the lid 5.

For securing said paper I use common flour paste to-which a small portion of glue may be added. I then cover the paper with a suitable coating of asphaltum varnish, which may be prepared as follows: To two parts of asphaltum add one part of resin, and melt them together in a suitable vessel.v When the mass is sufficiently cool, add naphtha or turpentine in proper quantity to bring the compound to a suitable consistency to be applied with abrush.

The paper, employed as above described, prevents the varnish from being absorbed or taken up by the wood to any injurious extent, and aids very materially in forming and preserving the requisite smooth and solid body of varnish necessary to render the case perfectly air and water tight. The lining, thus formed by the combination of paper and asphaltum varnish, is most complete, substantial, and" durable, and fully effects the object of my invention, as has been clearly demonstrated by satisfactory experiments.

Narrow strips of cloth may be glued in the corners of the case, where the joints are formed, before the paper is applied, but this is not considered essential. After a body has been placed in a case prepared as before described, care mustbe taken to cement or otherwise secure the joints formed at the edge of the case where the lid is fitted in such manner that they may be rendered air-and water tight.

Having thus described the nature and application of my improvement, what I claim as new, of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The employment of paper, in combination with asphaltum varnish,or its equivalent in effect, for lining the interior surface of burialcases, substantially as herein described, for the purposes set forth.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 22d day of April, 1863.

E. H. BonToN. t. 5.

Witnesses:

H. E. CLIFTON,

W. E. ALLITZ. 

